4 Tips for changing your mindset from Crestcom’s CEO
There is a bad habit that entrepreneurs (particularly new ones) tend to get into. It’s the habit of letting your own self-doubt get in the way of your success. It’s a phenomenon I like to call interFEARance: Our worry about past or future events gets in the way of our success in the present moment. The root of that worry is often fear of rejection, fear of looking like a fool or fear of being judged.
At Crestcom, we have periodic small group webinars where franchisees from around the world come together to discuss what’s working, what’s not, and to help keep themselves and each other accountable for achieving their goals. During a recent webinar, when asked what wasn’t working, a new franchisee replied, “Me.” She was putting in long hours and working hard, of course, but she was getting in her own way. It is a classic case of interFEARance.
I am betting that you feel the same way from time to time, in different areas of your life—both personal and professional.
Although you can’t change external events or people, you absolutely have power over your own mind. You can change your internal interFEARance. We so often sabotage ourselves, albeit unintentionally, by focusing on the negative during critical moments. Negative thinking lulls you into believing the worst about yourself and the situation. You think, “I knew this would happen. I knew I would fail.”
If you turned that moment into a positive, however, you would think, “I am going to brush myself off, learn from this moment and move on.”
Changing your habit of negative thinking takes practice, but it is possible. You can break the cycle of self-sabotage. Set your goals high, believe a positive outcome is possible, and start looking at stumbling blocks as opportunities to learn and grow.
Here is a simple, four-step approach to breaking the cycle of interFEARance. Repeat it often until it becomes a habit.
Single-Tasking
To begin, you must focus on one thought at a time. Set aside the noise of a multitasking mind and allow yourself to pick up on one thought at a time. Give it your full attention before moving onto the next thought. The goal here is to create a feeling of focused calm.
Breathe to Calm
Two or three times per day, stop and recalibrate with deep breathing. Find a quiet spot, turn off your phone and close your eyes. Breathe in slowly and deeply, down to your abdomen, and focus all your attention on your breath. Repeat that 10 times.
Visualize to Energize
When you have calmed and focused your mind, use that time to create a positive visualization. Close your eyes and call to mind a time when you felt skilled, successful and “on”. A time when everything seemed to fall right into place. Remember as many details of that day or event as you can and write it down. Refer back to this visualization whenever you feel negative thoughts creeping back in.
Use Your Words
”Play like a champion today.”
That’s just one example of a powerful positive statement that can help you aspire to great things. Create an affirmation for yourself: a strong, positive self-statement that is spoken in the present tense. You speak it as if it has already happened. Repeat it to yourself daily, and it can help shift your thinking.
In business ownership, there are many challenges and roadblocks along the way. Some of these challenges you can control, and others you cannot. But your mindset and your attitude toward success is something that you—and only you—have the power to control entirely.
You have power over your own thoughts. In addition to taking great care of your body with sleep, healthy food and exercise, you can instill a sense of hope and purpose into your daily routine by focusing your mind. Use these simple steps everyday to overcome any interFEARance you may be creating in your own life.
